Give Your Release Time

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The music that was once an inkling inside of you is recorded and you have created something you are proud of. It took focus and joy, and a sprinkling of frustration, a dollop of laughter and a few tears to create your single, EP or album.

You’ve worked hard to hone your sound and pick the best songs, and find a good studio and people to work with – so why waste that with a last minute upload for a release two days later?

Give your release time

It deserves dedication just as the creation of the song/s did. Spinnup recommends giving yourself 3-4 weeks lead time, selecting a specific release date instead of the ‘ASAP’ option. There is a method behind this madness, and it’s a requirement for releases you want more attention on.

Independent artists sometimes make things more challenging by not allowing a sufficient amount of time to execute a release plan. Just like you need time to write and record a stellar track, you need time to do all the things needed for a stellar release. We know the sheer excitement to get music out there can cause a ‘release ASAP’ rampage…..pressing return buttons repeatedly as quickly as possible hoping the release will show up online in a day or two. This approach is okay… but there is a much more effective (and professional) route.

Get it live exactly when you want

The 3-4 week lead in time also allows Spinnup to check and prepare your release. We check every single song that gets released to make sure of its quality and that it meets store guidelines. This takes time, and quite often we need artists to go back and edit their release – audio, artwork or metadata – before we can approve it and send to the stores. We can’t fast track or prioritise your release because you didn’t allow enough time, so selecting a release date a few weeks in advance is the best way to avoid any panic-driven emails to support.

Spinnup works fast, but we can’t always guarantee the platforms we’re working with will also give a fast release turn around every time. Major labels are aware of the promo and lead in time required for a release, and spend at least 8-16 weeks planning it. We’re not saying you need to copy what a major label does, but we are saying your music deserves to be treated just the same as a major label artist, and one thing all major label artists do…

Pitch to Spotify playlists

Spinnup can help with more than the upload and distribution of your music – we like to show you different ways to promote it. Check out the pitching tool for Spotify.

This is accessible from your Spotify for artists account and allows artists to pitch one track per release to the Spotify editorial team to feature on their playlists. The catch is you can only submit unreleased tracks. Shortly after the Spinnup team approves your release it will appear in your Spotify For Artists account for you to go ahead pitch to playlists. We all know how far a good playlist placement can get you and creating your release on Spinnup weeks in advance gives you plenty of time to give your track the best chance to get chosen.

Need more info on how to pitch? Don’t panic, simply go here for a complete guide.

Generate buzz

The best artists lock in release day premieres on blogs, YouTube channels and playlists. Having a locked in release date means you can PR your release ahead of time and secure your own premiere for your music and music video.

Put out teasers of music on social media leading up to a release date. If you have a music video ready, release snippets of it and behind the scenes ‘making of the song’. (Side note: film everything. All studio work, rehearsals etc. That is for another article, but, you know, film.)

The more content you put out before a release, the more engagement you will have when release day arrives. It takes around 7 contacts with a consumer (fan) before they pay attention to your product. That means 7 pieces of content to tease the song release – minimum. The 3-4 week lead in time is now welcomed as it affords you the time you need to promo.

Encourage engagement with every post – ask questions and always reply to comments (the mean ones you can totally ignore or delete).People like to feel heard so reach out and take the time to reply.Promoting your release before the release date will be fun and even if you think a piece of content might bore people on social because it’s ‘just another studio session’, put it up anyway.Most people love a sneak peek into a world they wouldn’t otherwise see.It’s kind of like driving at night and seeing lights on in houses and you are intrigued as to what’s happening inside of them.Pull back the curtains and showcase your music making journey.

Register your works

Now that you’ve got all of this up and running – the release is set and you are getting into the promo, register your works.If you haven’t already, sign up to a performance rights organisation and they will collect royalties on your behalf.They are free to join.PRS are in the UK, ASCAP and BMI are based in America, and there is APRA AMCOS for Australia and New Zealand.This is a very important step in securing your music.

Before starting your release

Make sure you have everything ready and in the right format, and fitting the guidelines. This is the best possible way to ensure a smooth release process.